President Volodymyr Zelenskyy supported the massive protests against Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government that swept across Slovak cities on 24 January.
“Bratislava is not Moscow. Slovakia is Europe,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
Tensions are escalating in Slovakia over Prime Minister Robert Fico’s pro-Russian stance, leading to massive nationwide protests on 24 January. Approximately 100,000 people demonstrated across nearly 30 Slovak cities, with an estimated 60,000 participants in Bratislava alone, marking one of the largest protests in the country’s modern history.
The demonstrations, organized by the Peace for Ukraine initiative, spread to Slovak expatriate communities in Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, and Ireland.
Fico’s government has raised concerns about Russian influence in Central Europe. On 22 January, he claimed an expert group was operating in Slovakia, allegedly involved in previous revolutionary events in Georgia and Ukraine. He convened a meeting of the country’s Security Council and repeated Russian narratives about the allegedly “staged” Ukrainian Revolution of Dignity.
On 24 January, Fico escalated tensions by accusing Ukraine of involvement in cyberattacks on Slovakia. He suggested that foreign-backed experts who participated in Georgia’s Rose Revolution and Ukraine’s Maidan were operating in the country.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhiy Tykhyi dismissed these allegations as “a standard fairy tale” designed to intimidate Slovak society and consolidate Fico’s political base.
While the Slovak opposition withdrew a vote of no confidence against Fico on 21 January, they plan to introduce another, indicating ongoing political turbulence.
The protests and Fico’s rhetoric suggest a potential realignment of Slovakia’s geopolitical orientation, challenging the country’s Western alignment.
Read also:
- Mass protests sweep Slovakia as PM Fico warns of “Maidan” scenario
- Slovak opposition party leader meets Zelenskyy over energy crisis as PM Fico turns to Moscow
- Slovak opposition to launch vote of no-confidence vote after Fico’s pro-Moscow gas claims
